Carl Schmitt on the Move: Spatial Politics and the (political) Sacrifice of the Sea

Abstract This article critically examines Carl Schmitt’s spatial thought, focusing on his land–sea dichotomy and the marginalisation of maritime spaces in his political framework. While Schmitt’s tripartite model of appropriation (<italic>Nehmen</italic>), division (<italic>Teilen</italic>), and exploitation (<italic>Weiden</italic>) privileges land as the locus of sovereignty, it fails to acknowledge the constitutive role of the sea—particularly the Atlantic Ocean—in shaping the global spatial order. Drawing on Lauren Benton’s concept of fluid sovereignty, the article challenges Schmitt’s rigid territorial logic and highlights how his marginal treatment of the sea undermines the coherence of his global vision. It further argues that Schmitt’s privileging of land reflects a Eurocentric bias, incompatible with the realities of maritime empires, oceanic trade, and interconnected sovereignties. This intervention adds a new dimension to Schmitt scholarship by foregrounding the strategic and conceptual significance of the land–sea relationship.